900 Broxbourne students are water safety aware

The informative and hard-hitting sessions were delivered by representatives from Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, Hertfordshire Constabulary and Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service.

The assemblies concluded at Goffs Academy, the school attended by Robbie Jordan Lea, a young man from Cheshunt who tragically drowned in 2017 after getting into difficulty swimming in a lake in River Lee Country Park. The Robbie Lea Water Safety Partnership was created in Robbie’s memory to support and enhance water safety education initiatives in the area and over the years Robbie’s legacy has seen 11,000 children engaged in water safety.

With the arrival of warmer and sunnier weather, the work of the partnership is crucial as people, and in particular young people, are tempted to enter unsupervised bodies of water without understanding the dangers. During the thought-provoking assemblies students learn about unexpected risks in open waters including old submerged machinery and cables which could snag a swimmer, unexpected currents, shallow waters, Weil’s disease and, one of the most common causes of drowning, cold water shock which can occur in any UK waters.

The students also discover what to do if they find themselves or others in difficultly in the water, learning vital life-saving skills from a Royal Life Saving Society presentation along with RNLI’s Float to Survive guidance and information on how to use the What3Words App to help emergency services to quickly locate you.

Karen Wheeler, Learning and Engagement Advisor at Lee Valley Regional Park Authority reflects on this year’s Broxbourne campaign, “We’re delighted to have the opportunity to continue to work with secondary schools in Broxbourne to deliver these critical messages. The number of young people losing their life through accidental drowning continues to rise and it is vital that young people are aware of the dangers of entering open water and the tragic consequences it can have. We’re thrilled that Broxbourne secondary schools continue to recognise and prioritise this engagement.”

Commenting on the assembly at Goffs Academy for 240 students in year nine, Kate Dawson, Assistant Principle – Personal Development at Goffs Academy praised a “really informative session that had relevant information that students can engage with”, adding, “we have worked alongside Robbie Lea Water Safety Partnership for many years, it is so important for young people to know the dangers of water and keeping themselves safe”.

Schools who have participated in this year’s Broxbourne campaign include Haileybury Turnford School, St Mary’s Church of England High School, The Broxbourne School and Goffs Academy.

The award winning Robbie Lea Water Safety Partnership continues to grow, extending its reach across Hertfordshire and working closely with partners in Essex. Other highlights from the partnership this year include a range of water safety initiatives delivered by Essex County Fire and Rescue Service as part of the wider Safer Essex Water Safety Forum. This has included 44 water safety sessions delivered in Essex schools, water safety workshops for children attending summer holiday clubs and Activity and Food clubs, the inclusion of water safety messaging in 6,000 children’s summer activity booklets, 300 leaflets and 200 lesson packs, attendance at over 60 water safety events across Essex to deliver water safety advice and training delivered to hospitality and security staff in how to deploy a throwline to help prevent drownings as part of the RNLI Waterside Responder Scheme.

Members of the Robbie Lea Water Safety Partnership include, the family of Robbie Lea, Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, Hertfordshire Constabulary, Hertfordshire Fire & Rescue Service, Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, RNLI, Canal & River Trust, Crucial Crew, Parks Patrol - Broxbourne Council, Royal Life Saving Society, Hertfordshire Boat Rescue and Essex Country Parks.

Visitors are not permitted to enter the water bodies within Lee Valley Regional Park, further advice and guidance on staying safe in and around water can be found here/ at visitleevalley.org.uk

#RememberRobbie #WaterSafety #RespectTheWater #EndDrowning #RLWSP #BroxbourneCouncil